Sporting Digest: Rugby Union

Dave Sims, the England A lock, has been ruled out for at least three weeks with a shoulder injury. He will miss Gloucester's next two Allied Dunbar Premiership matches against Bath on 11 February and Northampton three days later.

Mluleki George, president of South Africa's National Sports Council, which governs sport in the country, has warned that he may resort to calling for international boycotts unless provincial rugby union teams increase their number of black players. George raised his concern about the racial composition of the teams when only four blacks were among the 120 South African players named last week to contest the forthcoming Super 12 tournament.